Career and Education Opportunities for Electrical Engineers in Bellevue, Washington

Electrical engineer career and educational opportunities abound in Bellevue, Washington. There are currently 3,180 jobs for electrical engineers in Washington and this is projected to grow by 17% to about 3,730 jobs by 2016. This is better than the national trend for electrical engineers, which sees this job pool growing by about 1.7% over the next eight years. In general, electrical engineers design, develop, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, or scientific use.

The income of an electrical engineer is about $39 hourly or $81,140 per year on average in Washington. In the U.S. as a whole, their income is about $39 hourly or $82,160 annually on average. Earnings for electrical engineers are not quite as good as earnings in the general category of Engineering in Washington and not quite as good as general Engineering category earnings nationally. Jobs in this field include: laser engineer, traffic engineer, and telephone engineer.

The Bellevue area is home to sixty-four schools of higher education, including three within twenty-five miles of Bellevue where you can get a degree as an electrical engineer. Electrical engineers usually hold a Bachelor's degree, so you can expect to spend about four years studying to be an electrical engineer if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Electrical Engineer

Electrical Engineer video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, electrical engineers design, develop, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, or scientific use.

Electrical engineers talk with others to consider existing or potential engineering projects and products. They also ready and study technical drawings, specifications of electrical systems, and topographical maps to insure that installation and operations conform to standards and customer requirements. Equally important, electrical engineers have to ready requirements for purchase of materials and equipment. They are often called upon to operate computer-assisted engineering and layout software and apparatus to perform engineering tasks. They are expected to oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed satisfactorily, on time and within budget. Finally, electrical engineers direct and schedule manufacturing, construction and testing efforts to insure adherence to specifications and customer requirements.

Every day, electrical engineers are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to read and understand documents and reports. It is also important that they listen to and understand others in meetings.

It is important for electrical engineers to compile data and write reports regarding existing and potential engineering studies and projects. They are often called upon to layout and improve electrical instruments and systems for commercial and domestic purposes. They also design budgets and construction costs. They are sometimes expected to investigate customer or public complaints, decide on nature and extent of problem, and recommend remedial measures. Somewhat less frequently, electrical engineers are also expected to help in developing capital project programs for new equipment and major repairs.

They also have to be able to investigate and test vendors' and competitors' products and inspect completed installations and observe operations to insure conformance to layout and equipment specifications and adherence to operational and safety standards. And finally, they sometimes have to supervise and train project team members as needed.

Like many other jobs, electrical engineers must be thorough and dependable and be able to absorb the factors involved and a problem and provide a well thought out solution.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Bellevue include:

Aerodynamics Engineer. Perform a variety of engineering work in designing, constructing, and testing aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft. May conduct basic and applied research to evaluate adaptability of materials and equipment to aircraft design and manufacture. May recommend improvements in testing equipment and techniques.

Biomedical Engineer. Apply knowledge of engineering, biology, and biomechanical principles to the design, development, and evaluation of biological and health systems and products, such as artificial organs, prostheses, instrumentation, medical information systems, and health management and care delivery systems.

Chemical Engineer. Design chemical plant equipment and devise processes for manufacturing chemicals and products, such as gasoline, synthetic rubber, and pulp, by applying principles and technology of chemistry, physics, and engineering.

Civil Engineer. Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures, and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, water and sewage systems, and waste disposal units. Includes architectural, structural, and geo-technical engineers.

Computer Engineer. Research, design, and test computer or computer-related equipment for commercial, industrial, or scientific use. May supervise the manufacturing and installation of computer or computer-related equipment and components.

Electronics Engineer. Research, design, and test electronic components and systems for commercial, industrial, or scientific use utilizing knowledge of electronic theory and materials properties. Design electronic circuits and components for use in fields such as telecommunications, aerospace guidance and propulsion control, acoustics, or instruments and controls.

Manufacturing Engineer. Apply knowledge of materials and engineering theory and methods to design, integrate, and improve manufacturing systems or related processes. May work with commercial or industrial designers to refine product designs to increase producibility and decrease costs.

Materials Engineer. Evaluate materials and develop machinery and processes to manufacture materials for use in products that must meet specialized design and performance specifications. Develop new uses for known materials. Includes those working with composite materials or specializing in one type of material, such as graphite, metal and metal alloys, ceramics and glass, plastics and polymers, and naturally occurring materials.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Electrical Engineer Training

Seattle Pacific University - Seattle, WA

Seattle Pacific University, 3307 3rd Ave W, Seattle, WA 98119-1997. Seattle Pacific University is a small university located in Seattle, Washington. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 3,891 students and an admission rate of 84%. Seattle Pacific University has a bachelor's degree program in Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering which graduated nineteen students in 2008.

Seattle University - Seattle, WA

Seattle University, 900 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122-4340. Seattle University is a medium sized university located in Seattle, Washington. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 7,560 students and an admission rate of 65%. Seattle University has a bachelor's degree program in Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering which graduated twenty-one students in 2008.

University of Washington-Seattle Campus - Seattle, WA

University of Washington-Seattle Campus, 1400 NE Campus Parkway, Seattle, WA 98195-4550. University of Washington-Seattle Campus is a large university located in Seattle, Washington. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 39,675 students and an admission rate of 61%. University of Washington-Seattle Campus has bachelor's degree, master's degree, and doctor's degree programs in Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering which graduated 161, sixty-six, and twenty-six students respectively in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Planning and Scheduling Professional:
The PSP certification is to recognize specialists who meet a demanding set of planning and scheduling criteria by a rigorous examination, experience, education and ethical qualificaion.

Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing Professional - Technologist:
ASME GDTP Certification provides the means to recognize proficiency in the understanding and application of the geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) principles expressed in the ASME Y14.

Certified Energy Manager:
Since its inception in 1981, the Certified Energy Manager (CEM®) credential has become widely accepted and used as a measure of professional accomplishment within the energy management field.

Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional:
AEE's Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional (CLEP) program is designed to provide recognition for professionals who have distinguished themselves as leaders in the field of lighting efficiency.

CompTIA Radio Frequency Identification (RFID+) Certification:
CompTIA Radio Frequency Identification (RFID+) certification validates the knowledge and skills of professionals who work with RFID technology.

IPC-A-600 Acceptability of Printed Circuit Boards:
The IPC-A-600 Training and Certification Program helps all segments of the electronics interconnection industry improve their understanding of printed board quality issues; greatly enhances communication between PCB manufacturers, their suppliers and their customers; and provides a valuable portable credential to industry professionals as well as recognition for their companies.

Protective Coatings Specialist:
This certification is geared toward individuals who are experienced, knowledgeable and capable of performing work at an advanced level in both the theory and practice of corrosion prevention and control, and who are capable of performing work at an advanced level in the protective coatings field.

System Operator Certification:
The System Operator Certification Program awards certification credentials to those individuals who demonstrate that they have attained sufficient knowledge relating to NERC reliability standards and the basic principles of bulk power system operations by passing one of four specialty examinations.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Bellevue, Washington

Bellevue, Washington photo by Jelson25

Bellevue is located in King County, Washington. It has a population of over 123,771, which has grown by 13.0% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Bellevue, 128, is far greater than the national average. New single-family homes in Bellevue are valued at $475,200 on average, which is far greater than the state average. In 2008, one hundred thirteen new homes were built in Bellevue, down from one hundred sixty-five the previous year.

The top three industries for women in Bellevue are health care, professional, scientific, and technical services, and educational services. For men, it is professional, scientific, and technical services, transportation equipment, and construction. The average commute to work is about 22 minutes. More than 54.1% of Bellevue residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 19.4%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Bellevue is 7.2%, which is less than Washington's average of 8.7%.

The percentage of Bellevue residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 37.3%, is less than the national average but more than the state average. The most prominent religious groups are the Catholic Church, the LDS (Mormon) Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Bellevue is home to the Sunset Plaza and the Eastgate Plaza as well as Killarney Glen Park and Coal Creek Park. Shopping malls in the area include Hillfair Shopping Center, Lake Hills Shopping Center and Crossroads Shopping Center. Visitors to Bellevue can choose from Bedynamic Inc, Fairfield Inn Seattle-Bellevue and Bellevue Travelodge for temporary stays in the area.